The organ: Ernest M. Skinner & Co. Opus
368
Built
in 1922, Opus 368 replaced a small 19th century Hutchings
organ.
Even before the new organ was installed, several changes were
made. The original plan was to re-use the speaking pipes in
the
Hutchings facade. Instead, a facade of non-speaking pipes was built so
that the Hutchings organ could be donated to The Episcopal Church of
Saint John the Baptist in Sanbornville, New Hampshire.
After a recent restoration, the Hutchings organ is still in
use in Sanbornville.

As the 80th anniversary of our Skinner organ approached, it was clear
that the mechanisms from 1922 would need a complete overhaul.
The
instrument was also in poor shape tonally, due to a number of
unsuccessful modifications over the years. After considering
many
options, we chose Spencer Organ Company to do a
complete renovation of the instrument with the objective of restoring
both
its mechanisms and its authentic Skinner sound.

The
Restoration Project (Phase II)

Mechanical renovation (Phase I of
the project) was completed in 2002, with a thorough cleaning of the
organ
and replacement of all the original leather parts such as
gaskets and valves. This phase represented about a third of the
entire renovation project. (A photo
album of Phase I is available on the Church of the Holy
name's web site.)

At some time in the 1960s our original Skinner console
was replaced
with an inferior contemporary model which was deteriorating
rapidly by the 1990s. Fortunately, Spencer Organ Company had a suitable
Skinner console which was originally located at the National Cathedral
in
Washington, D.C.

For six years prior to installing the
present
Great Organ in the Cathedral in 1938, Ernest Skinner loaned the
Cathedral a smaller instrument, Opus 883. When the Great Organ
was complete, he removed this temporary organ and sold it to a
small college in the Boston area. The college subsequently
dismantled the instrument, but Spencer Organ Company was able to obtain
the
console. These photographs show the console in storage at
Spencer Organ. (console
album, 9/11/2002)

This album shows the former National Cathedral console at the
Spencer Organ shop, where it was being refurbished for our
organ.
(console2 album,
8/8/2007) The restored console arrived at Church of the Holy
Name on March 1, 2008 (see
below).

Joseph
Rotella checks Skinner Diapason and
Octave pipes from the 1920s on a voicing machine (a small organ used to
adjust the tonal qualities of pipes). These pipes, together
with
a Harmonic Flute, an Octave, and a Mixture, have now replaced the strange assortment of
non-Skinner pipes formerly in the Great division of our organ.
(great album,
8/8/2007)

This
album shows the
Spencer Organ crew removing and packing the Great pipes on August
31. None of the original Great pipes remained, (they had been
replaced some time during the last 50 years), so the existing pipes had
to be removed.
The Great
toe boards and rack boards were also removed and
modified to accept Skinner pipes once again. (great_removal
album, 8/31/2007)

Diapasons
originally from another 1922 E. M.
Skinner organ are installed in the Great division of our organ. A Skinner Octave and
Harmonic
Flute and a Mixture in the Skinner style have since been installed.
(great_diapasons
album, 9/13/2007)

We visited the Spencer shop to see
the work in progress on our console and the restored pipes from our
Swell division. (shop_visit
album, 2/16/2008)

The
restored console from the 1932-1938 interim National Cathedral organ
(Aeolian-Skinner Opus 883) arrives at our church. Connecting
to
the existing signal wiring will take several more days. (new_console album,
3/31/2008)

When
funds allow, we plan to restore the missing Still Gedect/Echo Lieblich
in the Pedal division and add a Trumpet/Trobone playable from the
Pedal, the Great, and the Choir. To make room for these stops, we
will need to replace the existing facade of dummy pipes with a facade
of speaking pipes (as was originally planned in 1922).

Recitals

Sunday
April 27, 2008

We observed the liturgical re-dedication of Opus 368 at our 10:00 AM
service on April 27, and organist Douglas
Major gave a recital at 4:00 PM.